1. Trump's speech was a mishmash of conflicting impulses, both to deescalate but also to talk tough.
2. Stepping back, it's important to realize that on foreign policy Trump is a fundamentally weak president, easily swayed by advisors but also by what he sees on TV (especially Fox) and by pushback (as with his walking back threats to Iranian cultural sites).
3. Trump's fickleness and lack of rudder makes it all the more imperative that there is a counterforce pushing him away from war -- both popular protests and also congressional checks. If there's an off-ramp, he has to be pushed towards it. thenation.com/article/iran-w…
